1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mounting arrangement for and method of mounting a cooking surface and more particularly, to a mounting arrangement for and method of mounting a cooking surface, wherein the cooking surface is to be installed in a cut-out in a work plate by using a frame unit which includes a support section on which the cooking surface is to be supported, wherein the frame unit and an assembly unit, which has a tub-shaped base body, are integrally molded to each other as a one-piece structure including separatable areas, and wherein the assembly unit includes functional elements for supporting built-in electronic components, such as heating elements, cables or similar.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional mounting arrangement is taught in GB 2021909 (hereinafter GB '909). The mounting arrangement taught in GB '909 is for supporting a cooking surface to be installed in a cut-out of a work plate. The mounting arrangement includes a frame unit having a support section. The cooking surface is placed on this support section. The cooking surface can be fixed to the support section via a silicone adhesive. The mounting arrangement also includes an assembly unit which is integrally molded to the frame unit to form a one-piece structure. The assembly unit has a tub-shaped base body that is arranged beneath the cooking surface. The one-piece structure of the frame unit and the assembly unit is produced from a sheet steel blank in a deep drawing process. The tub-shaped base body of the assembly unit is provided with a plurality of perforations. These perforations can be closed off with the aid of individual plate elements. The plate elements are screwed into the tub-shaped base body of the assembly unit. A spring holder is riveted to the plate elements for fixing heating elements thereto. The spring holder supports the heating elements and presses the heating elements, within the tub-shaped base body of the assembly unit, to the underside of the cooking surface. The attachment of the plate elements to the tub-shaped base body of the assembly unit requires considerable parts and assembly costs. In addition, the free edges of the plate element and the perforation closed by the plate element need to be filed, smoothed or de-burred in order to prevent injury.
DE 29 15 529 teaches a mounting arrangement for a cooking surface that essentially corresponds to the cooking surface taught in GB '909.
DE 24 07 582 teaches a mounting arrangement for a cooking surface that includes a frame unit with a support section. A cooking surface can be fastened onto the support section. The frame unit itself is composed of two frame parts. A circumscribing suspension clip can be fastened on the frame unit assembled from the two frame parts. The circumscribing suspension clip serves to connect a floor group. The floor group is arranged so as to be parallel to and at a distance from the cooking surface. Electrical components, such as heating elements, can be fixed to the floor group. A plurality of individual parts are required to construct such a mounting arrangement and thus, commercial manufacture is only possible with difficulty.
DE 21 42 692 (hereinafter DE '692) teaches another known mounting arrangement for a cooking surface. The mounting arrangement taught in DE '692 has a frame unit that is assembled from four individual profile sections. The profile sections are connected to each other at the corner areas of the frame unit using corner connectors. The profile sections include a U-shaped receiving section that surrounds the edge of the cooking surface in order to receive the cooking surface. The mounting arrangement taught in DE '692 is assembled by first sliding the profile sections onto the edge of the cooking surface. Then, the profile sections can be connected to each other with the corner connectors. A floor group is arranged beneath the cooking surface. The floor group serves to receive and fix the heating elements that are arranged under the cooking surface.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting apparatus for a cooking surface, wherein the cooking surface is to be installed in a cut-out of a work plate using a frame unit having a support section on which the cooking surface is supported, wherein the frame and an assembly unit, having a tub-shaped base body, are originally integrally molded into a one-piece structure with separatable areas therein, wherein the assembly unit includes functional elements for supporting electronic built-in components, such as heating elements, cables or similar, in order to securely attach the electronic components with as little cost for parts and assembly as possible.
The above-described object of the present invention is accomplished by providing the assembly unit, having the tub-shaped base body, and the floor group as an originally, integrally molded one-piece structure that has functional elements which are as least partially molded on the floor group.
The frame unit and assembly unit can then be produced as a single component with as little expense for parts and assembly as possible. Additionally, re-touching work is reduced, since the number of free edges is minimized, and a filing, smoothing or de-burring process need only take place on the edges of the frame unit near the work plate. The functional elements can then be selected, as desired, to fix the electronic components. For example, it is possible to support the heating elements so that they are optimized for stability. Individual functional elements can also perform two or more functions. For example, a functional element can support a heating element and at the same time serve as a connection point for a cable.